Printed and Published at the Dover Express Works. 1916.

TO BE FORMATTED

ANNALS OF DOVER.
SECTION THREE.
THE PASSAGE.
VII. INDEPENDENT ADVENTURERS.

Independent adventurers have made noteworthy efforts
to improve the Passage. When steam took the place
of sails, it was outsiders who commenced the innovation ;
and there have been others who thought they could
improve the Passage by building steam vessels on novel
principles ; while others have suggested taking trains through
a tunnel, or a tube, or on a monster train-ferry. It is no
part of this history of the Passage to deal with proposals
for tunnels or train-ferries; but as two novel vessels were
built and tried between Dover and Calais with the object of
abolishing sea-sickness, it will be appropriate to mention
them.

The first of the " peculiars," as they were called, was
the " Castalia," invented by Captain W. Dicey, R.N., who,
during ten years of retirement at Walmer, planned a steam-
ship having a double hull, or, rather, two half hulls ; and
these being connected by a deck bridge, there was an open
water-way under the centre, where the paddle-wheels worked,
the outsides being smooth like a screw-propelled ship. While
the plans were being worked out at Walmer, Captain Dicey
was frequently in consultation with his neighbour at Walmer
Castle, Earl Granville, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports,
and for that reason the ship was named, after Earl
Granville's second wife, Castalia. The twin-ship came to
Dover on the 15th September, 1874, but did not make a
trial trip to Calais until 20th July, 1875, when the voyage
occupied one hour and fifty minutes. In her subsequent
voyages she proved to be a slow boat, making a large con-
sumption of fuel. New boilers were put in and other
alterations made, including a gorgeous decoration to fit her
to carry the Prince of Wales (afterwards Edward VII.), on
his voyage across the Straits of Dover, 15th October, 1875,
on his journey to India. That was the last voyage of the
" Castalia " in that year.

The main point was whether there was less sea-sickness
amongst her passengers than on other ships, and on that
opinions were divided. As for entirely abolishing sea-
sickness, the " Castalia " was a failure, which was made
evident on her first trip ; and subsequent trials only confirmed
that conclusion; but the public had fallen in love with the



l62 ANNALS OF DOVER

twin-ship, with Captain Dicey, its inventor, and with the
Countess Castalia, its namesake, therefore, they were loth
to admit that their great expectations had not been realised.
The English Channel Steamship Company, who had built
the " Castalia," resolved to raise ;^i5o,ooo more capital,
and build another "Castalia" that would be swifter and
less costly in the use of fuel. The new capital did not
come in, but the original " Castalia " was put on the Dover
Passage again in 1876. Her novel construction attracted a
good many travellers, but they nearly always missed the boat
express train at Dover, and to catch the Paris mail, in the
morning, she left Dover an hour before the other steamers,
Dover hotels being well filled by travellers who stayed here
all night to ensure a passage in the " Castalia." In June
she carried 1,741 passengers; in July, 2,938; and in August,
5,388. In September her machinery broke down, and she
went into dock until 1877. Certain improvements were
made, but before the summer season of 1878 commenced, the
Company went into liquidation, and the original " Castalia "
went back to the Thames, and was seen in the Straits of
Dover no more. The new " Castalia," projected by the
English Channel Steamship Company, was never built; but,
in time for the 1878 summer traffic, a twin steamer on
similar lines, but having two perfect hulls instead of two
halves was built for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
Company, and was named the " Calais-Douvres." This
twin-ship was very popular, sometimes carrying as many as
750 passengers in one voyage; and her average, during the
season, was 500 per voyage. This steamer, too, was costly
in respect of fuel, a very " wet boat " in rough weather,
and nautical men were of opinion that, in a gale, she would
be dangerous. She was not used in the winter, but she was
continued on the summer service until 1887, when she was
taken off, and the twin-ship idea was dropped on the Dover
Passage.

Another "peculiar" was the "Bessemer," specially
invented by Mr. Henry Bessemer for the Dover Passage, to
prevent sea-sickness, by having a swinging saloon, which was
intended to be always kept horizontal by a mechanical
contrivance, however the ship might roll in rough seas. This
novel steamship also came to Dover in 1875. On the 8th
of May she made a trial trip from Dover to Calais. Those
in charge did not venture to let the saloon swing, so the
contrivance for preventing sea-sickness was not tested. In



THE PASSAGE 1 63

entering Calais Harbour the vessel refused to answer the
helm, and, crashing into the West Pier, she did damage for
which the MunicipaUty of Calais claimed ;£2,8oo. That
ended the " Bessemer 's " career.

While the "peculiars" were having their trials, practical
men came to the conclusion that bigger boats and more
powerful engines would be the best improvement of the
Passage. In 1884 the International Communication Company
proposed to build a large Water Station at Dover for
carrying on the business of the Passage by larger boats than
those then in use. They went no further than issuing their
Parliamentary Notice, because the London, Chatham and
Dover Company, who were in possession of the field, were
prepared to act on the same lines. They had already, in
1883, placed the " Invicta " on the Passage, which, in the
matters of accommodation and comfort, was all that could
be desired, but something more was needed in speed. The
threat of outsiders to capture the traffic induced the Railway
Company to build two more vessels equal to the " Invicta"
in accommodation but sw^ifter. The first of the two, the
" Victoria," came on the Passage in 1886, and she occa-
sionally did the voyage in sixty minutes, which was a record.
For lightness, the " Victoria " was built with steel, 310ft.
long, 35ft. beam, 8ft. draught, and 300 tons register. The
luxuriousness of her fittings eclipsed all that had been before
seen on the Passage. In 1887, the sister ship, the
" Empress," came on the Passage. She was 75ft. longer
than the " Victoria," and was pronounced to be " the best
of all the Passage steamers." Her time in crossing, under
favourable circumstances, was fifty minutes — another record.
The third of the series (not counting the " Invicta ") was
the " Calais-Douvres," which came on the Passage in June,
1889. This was not a twin-ship, but, like the old " Calais-
Douvres," which had then left the service, she had a
rudder at each end to facilitate entrance to the harbours.
Her trial trip was on the 30th May,i8S9, when she carried
the official visitors to the opening of Calais new harbour,
her time being seventy minutes; but, subsequently, she
frequently crossed in an hour. The Dover and Calais
passenger traffic in this year, owing to the Paris Exhibition,
was beyond all records, in many weeks averaging 17,000 in
seven days. The London, Chatham and Dover Company's
fleet on the Dover Passage in that year was said to be " next
door to perfection."



164 ANNALS OF DOVER